1st ever Lens specifically for DSLR

check this link out

http://www.naturfotogr​af.com/AFS12-24DX_rev00.html

unfourtunatly.... its been developed by the dark side(Nik......)

Does anyone know If Canon has anything in the pipeline?

With this lens, Nikon clearly mark out their path for the future. No Full Frame Sensor. At least not on their DSLR in the prosumer segment. This is not the road that Canon will travel, the make their own sensors and i think that we will se an FF in the prosumer segment within say the next 2-3 years. As of now, just the sensor for the 1Ds is about 4500$ meaning more than half of the camera cost is related to the sensor.

But ofcourse, this price will drop as time goes by.

Also, bear in mind that this lens will be useless on an 35mm or an full frame.

I was a little surprised to see that Nikon was willing to pidgeon hole a lens into such a restricted use like that.

On the other hand I think that the Idea is what may be the eventuual direction that digitl photography will go in. Like the Olympus E-1 system, the lenses can be so much smaller if specifically desighned for a smaller CCD/CMOS than a full frame 35mm.

I do not think Canon will go down that road though. (at least not "halfway" like the Nikon offereing)

Eventually Canon may make a whole new line of Digital only equiment,. to capitalize on the smaller size possibilities. But rather than make smaller lenses that fit the EOS cameras and only work for the smaller CCDs,.. Canon will enlarge the CCDs... (CMOS)

Where Nikon has all there DSLRs with the same 1.5X Crop factor, Canon has i fact three diffferent sizes of DSLR CCD/CMOS to contend with at the moment.

They not only allready have the 1Ds with a full frame CMOS,. and thus a DSLR that such a lens would not work on,. it also has two different sized CCD/CMOS sensors installed in other cameras. The 1D remember has a larger CCD than the D30-10D CMOS. Thus a lens designed to work on the 10D would be too small for either the 1D or the 1Ds.

I lay 50% odds that the next generation of the D30-D60-10D lineage will have a full frame CMOS. Contax allready had a 6 megapixel full frame CCD. (now discontinued)
such a CMOS would be much less expensive than the 1Ds' 11 megapixel CMOS.

I personally think its a good and bold move, full frame sensors are mega expensive and in a few years time, film will be known as "classical". Makes sense to produce lenses for DSLR's, you only have to see canon's sales figures for the 10D to see how many people are buying DSLR's

It's a bold move, but whether it's wise remains to be seen.

For any given level of technology, the smaller the sensor, the more prone to noise it is at a given sensitivity.

For any given level of technology, it costs more to make a larger sensor.

The level of technology is changing.

So, a better question is: will it be more profitable to make a larger, lower-noise sensor, with all the support electronics, or to convert to a smaller sensor design.

The 4/3rds group is betting on the second: a new format designed around a specific chip size.

Nikon's taking a hedge-bet with this one lens.

Time will tell.

there definately is a market for a proper wide angle
lens for DSLR's that do not have a full frame sensor. Only one lens need to be produced something like a 17-35. That would suit all the wideangle requirements.

Good point StoneH.

Its too bad that a compoany like Sigma or Tokina hasn't jumped on this opportunity. Then Nikon, Fuji, And Canon users alike could benifit form such a lens,. and as you say the whole is there,.. a company like Sigma could really corner the market.

CDS, mebbe we ought to post our comments to Sigma or Tamron :P (We might even get royalties, should help us save towards those bleedin L class lenses)